We're the form team going into this game, and this is an amazing opportunity. When the gaffer came in here we were going out and expecting the worst, and now we run out believing we can beat anybody. Even Chelsea.

This is an amazing way to make your debut in the FA Cup. I'm looking forward most to playing against Andriy Shevchenko. People have said he's not been at his best, that he's struggling to come to terms with life over here, but he's still world-class and can score a goal from anywhere. I'm only about 6ft tall, well, 6ft 1in on a good day. The thought of Shevchenko charging at me . . . To be fair, Didier Drogba has been brilliant for them this season, too, and they're all class so there's no point worrying too much about what might happen. I'll actually be less nervous than turning out in the league on a Saturday - we're in a relegation battle and every point is important. Chelsea will actually provide a bit of respite.

I'd expect to be busy. We'll be under pressure from the start, but we'll have a game plan. Get at them, keep tight, make them frustrated. The gaffer's given us self-belief and instilled confidence in us, and we're also a lot fitter collectively so Chelsea shouldn't have the edge in that respect. The mind-set has changed here and, if we can get our plan working then, hopefully, it will come to fruition.

The dream scenario is a 1-0 win for us, and maybe a penalty save from me. Will I be thinking about that on Friday night? Definitely. I turned 21 this week and, after coming up through the ranks at Manchester United, you're realistic enough to realise you'll probably have to go elsewhere to get some games. This is a chance for me to be in the spotlight.

Alan Navarro, midfielder

I don't think that you can go out there and say: "This is what I'm going to do to stop Frank Lampard or Michael Ballack play." These blokes are quality and, if you try and stop them one way, they'll probably hurt you some other way. They've got so many different strengths to their game. All I can do, in my position, is try and make life as difficult for them as possible: get tight, make my presence felt, don't make it easy for them. I'm not going to sit back and let them play their football. I want to let Lampard know that he's in a game, so I'm going out there to make my mark.

I've never played at Stamford Bridge before, though I was in the Liverpool squad that went down there five years back and actually got beat 4-0. It's going to be a massive occasion for so many of us - some of us will never have played or will never play again on a stage this big - but, and this is going to sound a bit weird, I'm going to try and see it as just another game. Otherwise, they've already won half the battle.

The gaffer has told us as much. He's played in the biggest FA Cup games in the past, so any advice he can give us is vital. He's added so much to my game already, from playing little balls round corners, anticipating second balls, and little things, positioning-wise. You're bound to improve just listening to him. If we hadn't been playing so well, he might have fancied pulling on his shirt for this game himself. But we've got maximum points over Christmas so he's confident we can give a good account of ourselves

I suppose, given what Mourinho's been saying recently and the way we've been playing, our confidence is probably higher than theirs is at the moment. But the Chelsea side only need to turn it up an extra couple of per cent and, suddenly, we're two or three down after a few minutes.

It won't be a question of confidence for Chelsea. It'll be a question of whether they can be bothered to turn it on or not.

Matt McNeil, striker

I know this is real, but none of it feels real. It's a matter of going down there and refusing to be daunted by it all. We played Manchester United pre-season here and Rio Ferdinand was playing, and when I was at Stalybridge we played United again and I was up against Ronnie Johnsen. So I've played against two really good centre-halves already. Other than that, it's just your average "donkeys" in non-league.

There are things I can do. I'm a physical player. They're better footballers than me, but I can go out there, work hard, win my headers, be strong, get hold of it and I know for a fact I can do that no matter who I'm playing. I know I'm not going to be able to bring the ball down and do Ashley Cole on the outside for pace. But there are other things I can do to make it awkward for them.

Ricardo Carvalho is a laid-back footballing centre-half so I know I can get into him, battle him and that'll give me a good chance of unsettling him. It would have been quite a good battle against Terry. I'd actually have liked him to play - to have the chance to get stuck into him and then, afterwards, sit there and tell people I went toe to toe with the England captain would have been incredible.

I've gone through all kinds of jobs when I was semi-pro, from working in warehouses, labouring on building sites, and even as a croupier in a casino in Salford. Nine months back, I was driving a van for a fruit and veg company, playing part-time with Hyde. The managers I was working with thought that I was good enough to play professionally but, at 28 or 29, you can't really break in. Who would want a 29-year-old who's never played in the league when they could find someone who's been around and boasts the experience already? And yet, at 29, here I am up against Chelsea, the players I watch every week on Match of the Day. We know this is probably an impossible task, but we're going to try our best.

Paul Ince, manager

I didn't expect to be walking out this early in my managerial career to confront Jose Mourinho, but I suppose this is the next big challenge for me. It's been such a hard two months in terms of getting things together, getting the belief on the pitch and the organisation off it, but we're relishing this test. We will stamp our mark on the game. We won't go "Look at Chelsea, look at Frank Lampard" - we'll go there believing in ourselves. We are pitting our wits against world-class players, but we know they have only got one central defender, and that will give us a chance at set-pieces, and we know about their goalkeeper, too.

If we were a Premiership club or a decent Championship side, we might think we have a chance what with the problems they've been having lately, but that doesn't really apply to us. We've got to out there and play as we always do - why should we change? And, personally, this is just the next step. As a player, you set your sights high and I'd like to think I did OK. I never envisaged I'd play for United, for Internazionale and for my country. Now I'm doing the same as a manager - I'd love to manage one day in the Premiership, and do the same at Inter. That's why it was important to come to Macclesfield and learn the trade. This is the next step.

The first job is always the hardest job. Sir Alex [Ferguson] told me that, and that I was a brave man to take this role. I'm taking a step on the ladder, like he did. So far, it's worked out pretty well, but this is a new challenge, clearly. Have I met Jose? No, but he's met me a couple of times. Seriously, we met last year at Frank Lampard's Cancer Trust event in London and we had a few words.

He's brilliant, absolutely brilliant. He was a breath of fresh air when he came into the league, and he still is. He's so passionate about his football, as I am. But, as far as this game goes, I want my boys to enjoy it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for them, the game of their lives.